BREATHING SPACE: the zen of clutter management

Joanna Rueter

Make a space that helps you! In addition to hands-on help, Joanna
Rueter will meet with your group or collection of friends to discuss
your particular organizing and space dilemmas. Any question is worth
asking if it makes your life easier. Call or email your questions to
Breathing Space c/o Planet Vermont Quarterly or Toll Free 866-277-7223
or email rueter@sover.net.

Dear Breathing Space,

Im sure you wont like hearing this BUT I hate doing
yard sales! It takes hours of work to set up. Then people come at the
crack of dawn before the sale starts, and almost knock the door down
trying to get the best bargains so they can go sell my stuff somewhere
else for more. The rest of it just creeps along. I hate spending my
whole day selling old stuff when it doesnt make much different
in the cash flow in my house! I have so little time with my family
as it is. What can I do?

Truly annoyed.

Dear Truly,

It sounds as though you are someone who would be better off donating
your stuff to a good cause. Find a yard sale/rummage sale
being run by an organization you support or just take your unwanted
belongings to a Good Will, Salvation Army, Hospice or Community Center
that can help recycle your stuff in a way that gives you a tax deduction
and doesnt take up your time. Yard sales are a fun and practical
event for some peoplebut definitely not for all. You were smart
to ask.

Breathing Space

Dear Breathing Space,

I have so much stuff! Ive decided that this year I will
finally have the Yard Sale Ive been threatening. Do you have
any suggestions on making it worth while?

Thanks, Ready to sell.

Dear Ready to Sell,

For some people yard sales are a fun event. Sometimes a multi-family
yard sale works very well as a group endeavorwith more human-power
to cover all the tasks. You can take turns watching over the stuff
on the actual day of the sale and make a kind of party out of it. As
always- be prepared to have some glitches.

You definitely should price items before hand so you dont
have to figure how much something should be on the spot. You can always
reduce prices if things are going too slowly OR keep them high if thats
what you need to get to feel good about having made the sale. Remember
that the price is absolutely up to you and your desire to sell items.
Sometimes a high priced item is purchased right away. It all depends.

Its good to have a planned rain date and include it in the
ad. Some newspapers have a special rate for advertising tag sales.
Some will give you special signs for posting.

Hope this helps- enjoy!

Dear Breathing Space

We are planning to sell our beloved house that weve lived
in for 22 years! We are moving to a much smaller house out West so
theres no way we can take everything with us. Suggestions?

Westward Ho.

Dear Westward,

You have probably heard this before but its very hard to
be objective about your own houseespecially one youve lived
in for a long time. You could invite a couple of friends over and ask
them to pretend to be buyers and be absolutely honest about what they
see as they move about your house what they find appealing and
what they feel needs some work. Perhaps they could take notes and then
sit down with you and discuss their reactions over tea. Often realtors
are willing to do this. Its also something many professional
organizers like to do.

One client who was focussed on building a new house asked me to
simply come in and get her house ready for showing. She didnt
have the time or interest in making the changes herself. It was fun
for us both. I packed up a bunch of her belongings to make more space
and then placed the remaining furniture and knick knacks differently.
I warned her that it wouldnt feel like her house but she found
that she really enjoyed living in the new look and the house sold soon
after.

Feel free to call or email me for further thoughtsand best
wishes for the next era!

Breathing Space: Making Your Space Work For You 802-365-9600
or Toll Free: 866-BRSPACE (277-7223)